Up In Flames
by NobodyVIII
Summary: A Turk is dead. The Shinra they knew is no more and everything they know is turned upside down. Written as an optional sequel to A Routine Mission. If you want the full tear-jerking story read that first. Rude, Cloud, Tifa, Elena, Tseng, etc.
1. Chapter 1

The roar of the wind endlessly pummeled by the chopper blades…

The familiarity of it comforted him somehow. How many times had he sat next to the aircraft's open side and just let the breeze and the adrenaline blow by him. The weather had created one of his favorite kinds of days: that perfect mixture of warm sun and cool morning air that seemed to perform as the world's gentle alarm clock. His mission was over, and successful. He wasn't hurt, and really wasn't that tired either. The sky was blushing with the rose tint of waking sunrise. Everything acted as if it was supposed to be a good day. One thing was out of place however; one piece lost from this puzzle to spoil the whole picture. He was holding the empty, broken form of his best friend.

To Rude's eyes, the face half buried against his chest looked asleep. He knew what Reno would say to that…'_how cliché_'…but it was true. Over the years he had observed his partner in many phases of slumber. If the blood staining Reno's chest wasn't so total, the other Turk would have said his colleague had the look of exhausted sleep…not quite peaceful, but completely gone under. What he wouldn't give for that to be true.

Tseng sat opposite Rude in the belly of the chopper, watching the world go by in a vacant haze. He hated this. It wasn't that he had ever been particularly close to Reno; in fact the red head drove him crazy most of the time. But to lose a fellow Turk, a comrade, when there were so few of them left was a terrible injustice and a large pill to swallow. Not to mention that Tseng was unsure how Rude would react to all of this once the full blow hit him. The shaded man just sat there holding the body, expression set, staring at nothing that Tseng could see. His best guess: Rude wouldn't be working for a while. And for once, Tseng didn't mind. It was an understandable absence…one that he had foreseen if this, the unthinkable, had happened to either Reno or Rude. Always together when the chance was given them, it would have been a grave loss for one to lose the other. It just pissed him off now that he hadn't made it in time to be of any use.

Elena sat alone in the cockpit. She had opted to pilot rather than to sit in the back with Rude. Her fingers felt numb on the controls. Hot tears streamed down her face, and inwardly she wondered whether it was smart to fly a 'copter when you could hardly see past the moisture welling in your eyes. But she couldn't go back there and sit with Rude either; that would be too much, and then she'd really break down bawling. Being the only woman Turk had its drawbacks. When bad things happened, you weren't allotted time or room for comfort or grief. Life kept moving, and fast, and if you wanted to keep up you just lowered your head and carried on. But it was times like these she didn't give a rats about what she should do. A good friend had died today. Screw anyone who gave her a hard time for shedding tears about it.

The chopper trembled a little, cutting into an opposing wind current. Tseng tapped his headphones to activate them.

"Elena, contact emergency personnel. I want them there as soon as we land."

_Not that it will do any good, _he added mentally.

What really lit Tseng's fuse was the fact that of all the people who could have taken the life of Reno, it had been that idiot Ni. It was individuals like him that had always crawled right under the brazen red head's skin…the kind that talked a big game until blue in the face and yet stood back and handed the dirty work to those around him. Reno couldn't stand it when he wasn't right in the middle of the action, and the thought that some coward like Ni would take him out…it was ridiculous. Maddening.

The man had first shown up on Shinra's radar when he released his "Atonement" collection to the public. In general nothing was inherently suspicious about the pieces. An emotionally sensitive artist painting dramatic portrayals of the Corporation's reign of terror wasn't exactly what the new company would have liked, but it wasn't a crime. There had been a time when Shinra would have been on top of such a display like white on rice, but those days were gone now. Although it was annoying, it wasn't worth action that would lower public opinion that just happened to be dragging the ground as it was. So, the company did nothing.

The people were intrigued and stirred by both the art and the bold defiance of Ni, who had opened his public gallery right across from the small new Shinra offices. Old offenses were remembered and wounds reopened. The sense of general dissatisfaction turned to anger and frustration. It seemed that somehow this seemingly innocent man had wakened a sleeping fire within the heart of what used to be Midgar.

And that's when things started turning sour.

After the gallery closed, the artist's name showed up again, only this time in a bit of a different light. Flyers appeared announcing a series of talks to be given by Mr. Ni in an office across town. Once again, on the surface nothing seemed too out of place: the lectures were promoted as an answer to the question 'what now?'...a discussion of the past, a study of the present, and a glimpse of the future. All the same, the Turks kept their ears open, and it wasn't long before they heard something.

Mr. Ni thrived in metaphor and analogy; his speech was laced and tailored to perfection. His eloquence made the ranks of his 'students' swell almost overnight to a small army. Never did he say a word outright against Shinra, but one mention of 'The Master and his Dogs' set the whole room whispering the name in hateful tones. Convincing, charismatic, and unconventional, he soon won the hearts of the public. He was never too busy to debate or to discuss; nothing was more important than taking time for those who wished to know the 'truth.' In return for his dedication, the people matched it with their own 'displays of affection'.

The first ended in two Shinra employees beaten within an inch of their lives and left bleeding on the front steps of the company.

The second, sabotage of a major factory that had been contracted by Shinra to produce several new choppers and cars.

The third, a riot that soon turned violent outside Shinra…injuring both personnel and civilian alike.

The list went on and on, until finally Rufus had had enough. He paid a personal visit, accompanied by Tseng, and asked Mr. Ni to put an end to the madness he was causing. Rufus explained that Shinra was looking for new ways to supply energy…ways that would keep the planet in balance and not disturb the Lifestream. He told Ni that the new company had turned over a new leaf and hoped to keep violent retaliation out of the picture. But, if Shinra's people…not to mention the public…continued to get hurt, Rufus assured him that for the company not to take action would be unacceptable.

Mr. Ni had sat in attentive silence throughout the meeting. When he finally spoke, he apologized. The actions of his 'pupils' were unfortunate, he agreed. But to accept responsibility for an overzealous group's actions simply because they had attended his lectures…that was something he 'simply could not do.' He, in turn, assured Rufus behind a veil of metaphor and analogy, that as long as Shinra still existed, the violence would not stop. It was 'inevitable…as unfortunate as that may be.'

Both hands had been dealt, with one card remaining. Now, all that was left was to wait and see who would make the final move.

Within the week, the Turks discovered and disarmed a bomb planted beneath the Shinra building.

Rufus had given the order…the first assassination since the Jenova crisis. Tseng had delegated the mission to the two most capable Turks in that particular field. Sending both of them might have been borderline superfluous, but where one went, the other followed eventually. Reno and Rude had infiltrated Ni's headquarters and after a series of violent encounters had completed their mission.

Or so they thought.

_*BANG*_

_*RENO!*_

_*Filthy Shinra…..dog.*_

_*….gonna…..miss me?*_

_*Yeah.*_

Ni, in the end, had fired off one last parting blow as he died. That shot had cost Rude the closest thing he had to a brother.

The blood staining Rude's sleeves had long gone cold.

Reno was dead.

And for the living, one thing was certain:

Somebody was gonna pay.

"The building's just ahead," Tseng said. Rude didn't respond. "Be ready to let the medical teams ta-"

"He's dead." Tseng paused. The other Turk's shades were facing him now. "There's no point in getting medical involved." Uncertain of what to say, Tseng mentally scrambled for a professional response.

"Even so, they will want to make a record of things. They'll need to know the details…to put on file."

"You think he's gonna tell them?"

Tseng swallowed.

Bitter anger lurked beneath Rude's words. The Turk leader could feel the tenseness surrounding his comrade like a haze…sensed the raw emotion edging his control. Rude under these circumstances was a bit of an enigma, and for Tseng not knowing the minds of his subordinates complicated things severely. He hated the unknown.

"Just get ready."

Rude said nothing and looked away. The earpieces awakened to Elena's voice.

_Hey, you guys…something's going on with Communications. I can't seem to get a hold of anyone on the other end._

"Have you tried the new frequency?"

_Yeah but it's just silent. It's like it's offline. _

Tseng frowned.

"Let me take a look at it."

_Alright. Wait—I'm getting something now. It sounds like….what the…_

**FOOOM!**

The helicopter rocked a little as a wave of hot air slammed into it. Tseng couldn't believe his eyes.

The Shinra building had just gone up in a huge fireball.

_OH MY…NO!_

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" Tseng snapped. This could _not_ be happening. Not on his watch. Not ever. HOW? He had prepared! There are always repercussions after an assassination like this…when a popular man like Ni went down. So just before he had gotten the news about Reno, he had doubled the guards to the entrance of the building, and had made certain another group was on standby. The orders were given: no one was coming to or from the building by foot. If they had no choice, they would be escorted. All other entrances had been locked down, and he had personally seen to it that the president-

"THE PRESIDENT!"

_This Is not happening…this can't be happening!_ Elena shouted brokenly in the earpieces. Tseng frantically searched his mind for a solution, something that made sense as to how on this good earth _this _had managed slip beneath his notice. Nothing came to mind.

_What do we do now? Where do we go? Tseng!_

"SHUT UP ELENA." He instantly regretted saying it, but Tseng didn't have the time for apologies right now. "Calm down. Just get us out of here!"

Nothing happened. The aircraft didn't seem to be headed 'out of here' in any particular direction. And certainly not very fast. Quiet sobs were the only sound heard from the cockpit.

"ELENA!"

"To the right!"

Tseng's attention turned to Rude who was pointing urgently towards Tseng's side of the chopper. The Turk leader followed the line of sight—directly to an incoming missile.

"ELENA MOVE!"

The chopper roared to life but it was too late. The tail section suddenly evaporated. Tseng was sent flying out of the side, debris raining down on him. In a last ditch effort he managed to grab on to the mangled landing skid. The aircraft spiraled downward, listing uncontrollably to the left.

_TSENG!_

Elena. Tseng couldn't reach his earpiece to activate it. Rude's voice cut in.

_Find a clear spot to land! Focus…!_

…_.Right!_

As the ruined chopper struggled against Elena's control, Tseng prayed to whatever beings in the Lifestream that would hear him. He was slipping, and if something didn't happen and fast, he was a dead man. Not that he probably wouldn't be a dead man in a few minutes anyway, but freefalling wasn't the way he wanted to go. Hoping the wind wouldn't drown him out, he yelled out.

"RUDE!"

Suddenly a bald head appeared above him. Before he knew it he was hauled back into the belly of the chopper. The other cabin door had been shut tight…apparently Rude had had the good sense to protect himself from the same incident that Tseng had just endured.

"Thank you." Rude nodded.

The copter shuddered violently and tilted extremely left. Elena's voice hit their ears.

_Hold on! We're going down!_

There was nowhere to go. No place to find shelter. No way to protect themselves.

Rude met Tseng's eye.

It was over.

And just at that moment, there was a blinding flash and everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud Strife perched atop a piece of scaffolding high above the city of Edge. This side of town had done its best to rebuild after the mess between Holy and Meteor, but even so there were ruined reminders of the past like the skeleton of a building he found himself on now. The morning was calm, and he closed his eyes as a warm breeze played with the loose strands of his hair. Alone in the welcome dawn sunlight, he took the chance to clear his mind and attempt to relax. Well, as much as he ever allowed himself to relax. Finally dealing with Sephiroth had relieved a huge amount of the inner anxiety he struggled with, and at the end of it all when he had seen them…Zack, Aerith… Cloud's grey world had brightened considerably.

Those who had once made up AVALANCHE were all slowly falling back into their respective lives. He and Tifa were keeping up the low profiles of the 7th Heaven and Strife Delivery Service for now, with both businesses doing well despite the instability of the world's economy. And Marlene and Denzel grew up a little every time he turned around.

Shinra had kept its nose to itself ever since the incident with Kadaj's gang, and the Turks left them well enough alone—aside from the occasional visit to the 7th Heaven for a round of drinks. Rufus had been quiet, the city appeared content once more, and Geostigma was now nonexistent. For the time being, life seemed...well…normal. But Cloud knew life better than that.

Normal never lasted forever.

The former SOLDIER wannabe exhaled slowly, opening his eyes and scanning the world below. His closed exterior hid an immensely active interior that few people ever got the chance to see. Tifa was one of those chosen few, but even she had trouble disarming all the safeguards he had mentally set up. Only one person had ever really seen the man who was Cloud—the Cloud that had died with Zack.

But that was all in the past now. Life had finally moved on, and with it came the opportunity to loosen up a bit. Even so, the future of Edge…of those he cared about...still hung in uncertainty. Sephiroth was defeated. Shinra was in remission. Everyone was on the road to reconstruction. But without the stability of a power like Shinra, twisted as it may have been, a subtle spirit of disillusionment robbed the peace from the streets. Theft was more common than houseflies. Unexplained murders never went investigated and justice, seldom served. Homelessness, starvation, petty crime, mob rule…these words swam in his subconscious. Great, so the world was free. The question remained: Now what?

_Bzzzzzzz Bzzzzzzz_

Cloud unclasped the cell phone from his belt and flipped it open.

"This is Cloud."

_Cloud, something's up. _Tifa.

"Like what?"

_I'm not sure, but it doesn't sound good. I've had several costumers come in today mentioning something about a gunfight in a building downtown. From all I've heard it sounded like a war going on. Someone spotted a helicopter. One man said a car exploded…I don't know. Just a lot of odd rumors, but some of them are consistent with each other. And they all sound like Shinra._

"I'll check it out."

"_What could they be thinking? If it is Rufus starting something up again he's a bigger idiot than I thought he was."_

"Don't assume yet. I'll see what's going on."

"_Cloud, be careful."_

_*click*_

Below him something rumbled ominously, sending vibrations up the scaffolding beneath his feet.

"What the…"

He scanned the city, searching for some clue as to what was going on. At first he saw nothing, but slowly the scent of smoke met his nose, stinging his eyes. And that's when he saw it—the angry red glow of flames. It was concentrated, but looked to be spreading.

_What is going on?_

He decided that just wondering about it wasn't going to get him answers so he began the long decent downward. Many thoughts ran through his head, but one thing…the only real thing he was concerned about… was safe: Tifa and the kids were on the other side of Edge. Even so, this was strange. The only thing capable of drawing hostile attention to that particular street would be the new headquarters of Shinra. Even so, the building was nothing more than an office/hangar complex, not nearly large or organized enough to be any kind of threat. Or so everyone believed. The Turks had been in contact with the remnant of AVALANCHE off and on via Tifa's bar or happenstance, but never in their conversations had they mentioned any outside hazards that sounded dangerous enough to take seriously. And while Tseng and Rude usually kept important information to themselves, Reno and Elena had a more difficult time. Elena was clumsy about keeping intel quiet, especially around Tseng for some reason.

And when Reno was drunk, no one could shut him up.

Shinra had to be involved, that was certain. But the question remained: responsible, or the victim?

A strange whirring sound above stopped Cloud's progression downward. He scanned the skies trying to ascertain the source. Something clanked on the scaffolding next to him. A…propeller blade? He whipped back to the sky and caught a glimpse of a helicopter madly plummeting towards the ground. It shuddered tremendously and listed to the left, smoke trailing behind it. And, was that the Shinra logo on the side?

_No doubt now. Something's up._

"This looks bad."

Cloud had followed the greasy black trail painted across the sky to the tangled mass of metal before him…all that was left of the Shinra aircraft. The pilot had managed to steer the thing clear of buildings and pedestrians, crashing instead into the ruined rubble of a scarred section of the city. Aside from the broken glass and twisted steel, the cabin of the chopper seemed fairly intact. Cloud picked his way through the wreckage and debris, keeping clear of the flames as best as he could. The smoke choked him, irritating both his breathing and his vision. Suddenly his foot snagged on something, sending him stumbling to the ground—and face to face with…Reno?

"Hey. Hey! Can you hear me?" Unnerved by the sight of a familiar face amidst the chaos, it took Cloud a minute to get a hold of himself and start thinking clearly. Obviously the guy wasn't hearing a word spoken. In fact, Cloud wasn't sure he would ever hear anything again. His normally stark white shirt was a dark crimson from the collarbone down. The blonde put a hand to the Turk's neck and leaned an ear close to his mouth. There was no pulse and no sounds of respiration.

So, Reno was dead.

In an odd way, Cloud found himself battling between satisfaction and remorse. But he didn't have time for either. There was a chance that the pilot had survived, and despite the fact that they called themselves Shinra, they were still humans in need of aid. Some of them were even good people, as hard as it was to say. So he moved on.

He didn't have to move far. Rude was sprawled at Reno's feet, his body half buried under what looked like the remains of a cabin door.

_Together to the last._

To his surprise, Rude shifted, attempting to rise. Cloud pulled the door away, assessing the situation as he helped the Turk into a sitting position. Aside from general cuts and scrapes, one arm didn't seem to be sitting right in its socket and a large bruise was forming near his right eye where the shades had made contact with the ground. Rude removed the shattered piece of eyewear with the arm he could still use.

"What happened?"

"Strife."

"That's right. Who did this?"

"…"

"Well?"

"No idea."

Cloud frowned. Rude grunted as he attempted to get his injured arm to work for him.

"Dislocated."

If he was going to get any straight information out of the Turk he was going to have to get rid of the immediate distraction: pain.

"Hold still."

_**CrAcK!**_

A wince escaped Rude as Cloud set his arm back in place. Tentatively, the quiet man tested the injury.

"Thanks."

Rude felt around in the inside of his jacket and produced a second pair of broken shades. He sighed.

"Help….."

Both Cloud and Rude turned their heads towards the sound. Behind the acrid smokescreen a fading voice called. A weak cough followed.

"Don't move," Cloud directed Rude. On any other day, the bald man would have been on his feet after one of his friends called out like that, but he seemed pretty dazed at the moment. Cloud clambered in the direction of the sound, being aware of where he put his feet. The air was becoming unbreathable, and if he didn't get out soon he knew he would just become the next victim. With one hand shielding his face and one hand waving away the smoke, he eventually made it to the body of the chopper. There he found Tseng, the director, in pretty poor shape. Blood trailed from the corner of his mouth, hinting towards possible internal injuries. The rancid air was hard enough for Cloud to breathe, and consequently the Turk leader seemed to be slipping into unconsciousness. Cloud knelt next to him, lightly tapping the side of his face.

"Wake up. Tseng."

Tseng's eyes fluttered a bit. But in the end, he just couldn't keep them open.

"Tseng…Tseng… Wait—"

"Elena….."

"What?"

As he slipped away from lucidity, the director managed one word.

"Elena…"

"Elena? Where is she? Hey!" But Tseng was already beyond hearing. Taking in a lungful of acrid air, Cloud went into a fit of coughing. _Gotta get out of here. _It was only a matter of time before the flames found the fuel tanks. And when that happened, they were all going to be in serious trouble. Cloud stood, formulating his next plan of action. That's when he noticed the figure slumped in the pilot's seat. Red mingled with the blond of her hair.

_Elena._

Climbing inside the crumpled belly of chopper, Cloud forced his way into the cockpit. Smoke completely filled the space and the shattered control panel was one fire. Quickly he unfastened the unconscious form and a pulled her from the wreckage.

Now, how to get everyone out as fast as possible.

Cloud stumbled away from the scene of the crash, placing Elena a safe distance from the helicopter and into the clear air. A hasty glance at the extent of her injuries surprised him. Her knees were bloodied from the impact of the cockpit hitting the earth, and something had left a gash across the side of her head, but otherwise she seemed unscathed. For all that could have happened, she was lucky. Very lucky. Even so, with all the smoke she was exposed to there would probably be repercussions. Speaking of which…Tseng.

Cloud turned to retrieve the fallen director and smacked into Rude. The big Turk had gone ahead of the blonde and had recovered his leader. The strain on his arm as he laid the unconscious man down elicited another wince from Rude. Then without another word he turned back towards the chopper.

"Where are you going?"

Rude didn't answer.

"Hey."

Rude stopped, his head tilting back slightly in agitation.

"Where are you going? That thing's gonna blow any minute."

"I'm getting Reno."

Cloud paused. This was sensitive ground, and he of all people wasn't adept at breaking things gently. But before he could say anything Rude spoke for him.

"I know. But it doesn't matter. Keep them out of danger."

The blonde didn't attempt to stop him. Instead he wasted no time and took the opportunity to examine the two downed Turks and call for help. He reached for his cell and flipped it open once more.

"_Hello, what is your emergency?"_

"There's been an accident involving four people. I need medical assistance over here immediately."

"_We are locking onto your location as we speak. Emergency personnel should be with you shortly, sir."_

"Thanks."

*click*

Rude returned with Reno shortly afterwards. It wasn't long before emergency vehicles rounded the corner, swamping the place with people. The fires were hosed down filling the area with a steam/smoke concoction and trucks began collecting wreckage and hauling it away. Finally an ambulance showed up. A medic with a set face hopped from the back, followed by his lackeys. They immediately began administering aid…checking pulses, injecting fluids, and preparing materia.

Cloud wasn't sure what to do. The Turks were in other hands now, and everything seemed under control. He stayed around in case anyone needed a report of what had happened, but he was beginning to feel claustrophobic. The medic was working on Tseng at the moment but paused, recognition obviously lighting in his head. He stood for a moment, apparently thinking. Then he made his way over to Cloud. Unsure of what the guy wanted, the blonde braced himself. How he hated the uncomfortable and the awkward.

"Mister, um…"

"Strife. Cloud Strife."

"Cloud? So you're the one that defeated—"

"That's right. What do you want?"

"Well, you see sir," began the medic. He had suddenly become fidgety.

"….Yes?"

"These men. They are Shinra employees, aren't they?"

"Yeah."

"And…Turks by the look of them, correct?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Err….well…"

The medic eyed the sword strapped to Cloud's back. Beads of sweat began glistening on his brow.

"Mr. Strife," he stammered, "I'm afraid we can't take them to the hospital sir."

Cloud frowned.

"Why not?"

"Well, you see…um—"

"Spit it out. Why not?"

The medic swallowed hard, and nervously motioned back towards the wounded.

"The…hospital will not be admitting anyone associated with the Shinra corporation. Those were our orders."

"Oh yeah? Who gave those orders?"

Growing pale, the medic shook his head.

"I-I'm not at liberty to discuss that."

"You're not."

"No sir, I really can't! It's my duty to care for the injured! But there's nothing I can do about it. I'm…sorry."

Cloud inhaled deeply, eying the man before him.

"Why not Shinra employees?"

"I wasn't told."

"But, only Shinra?"

"Yes sir. I'm sorry…I would help if I could but…"

"Raike, we just got a call about some burn victims downtown." One of the assistants motioned for the medic to leave. The man, now trembling, turned to go. Cloud caught him by the shoulder before he could take another step. Raike jumped and looked back at the hero who had defeated Sephiroth, his life flashing before his eyes.

"Give me some materia. I'll help them out myself."

"Sir, I really…have to go."

Cloud glared.

"If I don't respond to that call…"

"You'll what."

"…..Please, Cloud, sir…I don't like this any more than you do, but—"

"No materia, huh."

"N-no sir."

"Fine. Then I want you to do something else for me. I need a Phoenix Down."

Raike was about to have a heart attack. Never had he been so frightened in his life.

"But Mr. Strife, they're rare as it is! I have no access to them…we aren't allowed to use them at leisure! You'd have to be dealing with someone very important to even see them!"

Cloud exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. His grip on the medic tightened sharply before releasing him.

"Get out of here."

Raike didn't have to be told twice. Before another word could be said, the man had leapt back into the ambulance and he and his team were driving off down the street.

"Wait!" Rude yelled after them. He turned to Cloud, an angry set to his hardened face. "Where are they going?"

"They refused to help anyone connected Shinra."

Rude glared.

"It wasn't my doing. Don't give me that. I'll see what else I can do."

It was time to call for AVALANCHE backup.

And find out what was going on.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Brrrrrring! Brrrrrring!**_

"I'm coming, I'm coming…hold on!" Tifa called to the phone. She finished wiping up a table and tossed the rag on the counter. "Alright, what is it?" She picked the offending object up and answered. "7th Heaven, this is Tifa, how may I—"

"_Tifa, it's Cloud." _

He only used that tone when something was up.

"Cloud? Did you find out what's going on?"

"_I need you to listen to me and do exactly what I say."_

Something was definitely wrong.

"Sure."

"_Close the bar early. Like now."_

"What…close the—"

"_Trust me."_

"Ok…I'll be right back."

More than confused, Tifa set the phone down. There were only three people in today, one regular drunk and a couple that had just walked in.

"Sorry to inconvenience you all, but this shop is closing down early today."

"Oh, really?" The young man, with a cute young lady on his arm, seemed disappointed, but he merely nodded. "Ok then, we'll check back tomorrow."

"Please do. Like I said, I'm sorry. It's a…family emergency."

"Sorry to hear that, ma'am." He turned to leave. "Have a good one."

"Same to you."

As they left, the last costumer stood.

"What's this about, Lockheart? I've got a good three round left in me!"

"Sorry Badge, but you're going to have to head home to that wife of yours a little early."

"WHAT? I can't! She'll be after me for drinking again!"

"Well, try being honest about it this time," Tifa said as she pushed him towards the door. "Maybe she won't go so hard on you. Now," she said, shoving him out the front door, "see you later!"

Quickly she shut and locked the door, her unease heightening as she made her way back to the phone.

"Now what?"

"_Get Marlene and Denzel in their room, and don't let them out until I say so."_

"…Ok."

She set down the phone once more and headed up the stairs.

"Marlene? Denzel! Come here for a second."

Two faced appeared at the top, eying her quizzically. When she reached them, she looked Denzel directly in the eye. The boy straightened: Tifa meant business.

"Denzel, take Marlene and you two play in your room until I say it's ok to come out, alright?" She tried to smile, but worry tainted her façade. Denzel noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"Did we do something bad?" Marlene chimed in.

"No, it's not like that. I can't tell you why yet, but," she put a hand on Denzel's shoulder, "you'll just have to trust me. Don't come out until I call you." The boy, always eager to prove himself strong like his pseudo-father, nodded firmly.

"Ok, Tifa. We won't. I promise."

"Good," Tifa replied with a grin. "I trust you. Now go!"

Immediately the two turned around and did as they were told. Denzel took Marlene by the hand and gently led her into the room specified. Tifa caught sight of his worried glance just before the door shut. But as much as she wanted to tell them it would be alright, she wasn't even sure what she was dealing with, and she headed back down the stairs to the phone.

"Done. Cloud?"

"_Yeah?"_

"Can you give me some idea as to what we're dealing with?"

"_I'll explain everything when I get there. For now…we've got company."_

_I hate when he can't just come right out and say things… _Tifa mentally sighed.

"….Fine. I can handle it. What's next?"

"_Grab blankets—lots of them. Enough for several cots. And then gather anything medical you have and bring it upstairs…bandages, materia, potions, everything."_

_Is he expecting a battle or something? Using my bar as a field hospital? Cloud…I wish you would just tell me._

"I'll get right on it."

"_Don't open the door unless you hear my voice."_

"I understand."

"…_*click*."_

Tifa set the phone down slowly. The silence of the empty bar held her in place…

"Cloud…" she whispered, "what have you gotten us into this time."

Worry for the kids and unease over the unknown burned inside her. She had hoped that, for a while at least, things were settling down. That maybe, just maybe, Cloud would settle down. That they could raise the family they had been given…together. But she was kidding herself if she thought for a moment that Cloud would put down his sword forever and let the world do what it would. She was kidding herself if she thought that _she_ could ever do that.

Quickly she shook these thoughts from her mind and set to work. A small stash of materia, all the bottles of potion she could find, a stack of fresh bandages, and an immense pile of blankets later, Tifa sat down at the top of the stairs and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. Moments later, there was a firm knocking on her door. Without a word, she slipped back down the stairs and situated herself behind the door, listening. There was a quiet grunt, followed by a pause. Then, the knocking sounded again.

"Tifa, open up. It's clear."

_Cloud._

His voice sounded sort of far away, but she did as she was asked. Much to her surprise, a beaten looking Rude carrying an awful looking Reno stood in her doorway.

"R-rude? What are you doing here?" She stepped aside in confusion as he entered, followed by Elena, who was holding the side of her head painfully. Cloud brought up the rear, an unconscious Tseng in his grasp. Hastily, Tifa shut the door and barred it.

"What's going on? What happened? And why are you here and not at Shinra…or the hospital for crying out loud?"

"Shinra's gone." Cloud motioned for the Turks to ascend the stairs, carried their director to the top, and joined Tifa.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Tifa asked, a little miffed about having the Turks under her roof, despite the fact that they had recently proven themselves semi-human by helping out during the Kadaj crisis.

"The building was totally destroyed."

"What…?"

"An explosion. No one seems to know what happened. But Rufus Shinra was in that building. So…"

"No more Shinra?"

"It looks that way."

Tifa leaned heavily against the nearest wall, completely taken aback. She put a hand to her forehead, attempting to process what she had just heard.

"I can't believe it. This is what AVALANCHE has dreamed of since the beginning…what so many people have died for. But…somehow….I don't know what to think about it."

Cloud nodded.

"I know."

Tifa breathed in, letting it out slowly. She met Cloud's gaze with a slightly hazy one of her own.

"So what are all these Turks doing in my house?" she said, trying to regain her composure.

"Their helicopter was shot down just after the explosion. I've talked to them. No one can think of any party that would have the strength or resources to pull off what happened. And it looks like nobody had a bone to pick with them as of late either. At least, not enough of one to matter anyway."

"And the hospital?"

"Refused to admit them. Anyone with the Shinra name."

"That's odd. They're usually impartial."

"Something strange is going on here. But we don't have time to figure it out right now. Tseng's looking bad, and the others could use some help themselves."

"Right. Reno looked terrible," Tifa said as she turned to head up the stairs.

"Reno's dead."

She stopped.

"That's…this day is…unbelievable."

She turned again, and began climbing.

"I'll be up in a minute," Cloud called after her. "I need to make a few phone calls."

That night, Cloud, Tifa, Elena, and Rude sat in the bar over bowls of hot noodle soup. Tseng was still unconscious, but his breathing had eased since Tifa had used what medical skills she had. Pallets had been laid out haphazardly upstairs wherever there was room. After laying the two limp Turks down respectively, they had seen to the others' ailments.

Rude had stayed by Reno's side during the entire 'doctoring' process, and despite what the rest had urged Rude couldn't bring himself to cover his friend yet. To him, he had said, this thing wasn't over. So the quiet Turk had pulled the sheet up to the chin and wiped the blood from the stone cold face, hiding the ruined body in case the kids got curious and decided to peak from their room.

Tifa had brought the kids dinner, praising their patience and obedience and spending a few minutes with them. She then explained that the Turks had gotten themselves into some trouble and that they would be staying with Cloud and her for the time being. But she had warned them not to disturb the sleeping ones…they needed lots of rest.

Cloud fished another bite into his mouth, not bothering with conversation. It was awkward enough to have Turks as dinner guests after everything that had happened in the past. And besides, they surely didn't want to be bothered, considering the tumultuous events of the day. Both Elena and Rude seemed to have lost their appetite.

Tifa spoke for him.

" So, from all I gather, you guys have had one confusing time of it."

Silence.

Rude was looking away, and Elena's eyes were glued to her noodles. But Tifa wasn't one to quit that easily. The Turks needed to fill in the blank spots in order for Cloud to get to the bottom of this. She cleared her throat.

"Let me see if I've got this right. Now, stop me if I get off on the wrong track. It all started this morning when the four of you were in the chopper—"

Rude shook his head.

"Oh? Then, when was it?"

Rude's jaw tightened. Apparently this was sensitive territory.

"Dawn," he began after some time. "Reno and I were on a mission to take care of Ni."

"Ni…" Tifa said to herself. Recognition flashed on her face. "He was the artist, wasn't he? The controversial one that lectured later, right?"

"Right. The President was tired of him. We finished the job, but not good enough…"

"Ni escaped?"

"No. Reno shot him down. But as soon as his back was turned—" Rude paused. He sat in silence for a long moment, and then swore under his breath. Elena chose this moment to join the conversation. Her voice sounded hoarse from the smoke and tears.

"It's ok, Rude. I'll take over from here." Rude nodded and looked away again. "We…that is, Tseng and I, got a call that Reno had been shot. We loaded up the chopper and took off, but by the time we got there, he was already gone. Apparently, Ni didn't go down without a parting shot. Before we left, we had stocked the chopper with the basic medical equipment…enough to get Reno to a hospital alive. But it was over before we landed."

"I see…" Tifa began. "I took a look at his wound. It didn't look like one that a chopper crash would cause."

"The coward shot him when his back was turned. Still pisses me off…" Tears welled in Elena's eyes.

"So, this is where my knowledge begins," Tifa said. "You all were in the chopper when the building exploded."

"Right," Elena confirmed.

"Moments later, you guys are shot down."

"By a missile, yeah."

"That's so odd. Who would have the means to pull something like this off?" Tifa drifted into thoughtfulness.

"Well, AVALANCHE comes to mind…" Elena said quietly, hastily shoving a bite of noodles in her mouth.

Tifa's reverie died suddenly.

"What was that? Couldn't here you."

"All I'm saying is that Wutai's not a problem anymore. It's a known fact that AVALANCHE always manages to find a way to get on the company's bad side…and somehow finds the means to do it."

"Well, let me guarantee," Tifa ground out, "that it most certainly was **NOT** AVALANCHE. And you're welcome for all the care and treatment your friends got today, by the way."

"Sorry…" Rude cut in. "Bad move, Elena."

"I guess so," she said. A blush rose to her cheeks. "My apologies, Tifa."

"It's alright," the martial artist seceded. "The questions remain: who and why?"

A knock at the door made four heads turn. Cloud stood to open it.

"What do you want," he called, his hand on the knob.

"You know good and well who it is, stupid! Open this door!"

"That's right ya no-good rascal. Git me to come all the way out here and keep me in the night air!"

Rude and Elena exchanged a glance.

Cloud unlatched the door and in walked Cid Highwind and Yuffie Kisaragi.

Tifa stood.

"Cid! Yuffie? What are you doing here?"

"Cloud here gave us a phone call…said somethin' about trouble."

"And where there's trouble," began Yuffie, "there's ME!"

Tifa laughed, hugging each of them in turn. It was then that the newcomers noticed the two guests at the table. Yuffie growled.

"Turks! What the name of Wutai are they doing here? Bring it on, you uptight sons-of-a—!"

"Yuffie!" Tifa stopped the girl in her tracks.

"They're the reasons I called you."

Disbelief slapped across Yuffie's face. Cid stepped forward.

"Well…" he sighed. He looked over the two battered Turks, getting a feel for them. Finally he turned back to Cloud. "If you're taking 'em under your wing, then I'll go along with it. I ain't one to put out guests of ol' Strife here."

"Thanks, Cid," Tifa said.

Yuffie scowled.

"I don't think I'm gonna like this," she hissed. Just as quickly, she mellowed. "But for you and Tifa, Cloud, I'll do what I can."

"Great," Cloud replied. "Now, let's get started."


	4. Chapter 4

_What... This is odd. I'm not–dead._

Tseng's head refused to allow him the power to open his eyes, so for the time being he lay quietly listening to the sounds of voices around him as consciousness returned. He ached horribly in every conceivable muscle: especially his abdomen. But that fact only served to confirm his first thoughts.

_Rrgh...unfortunately I'm very much alive, _he said inwardly as a wave of throbs wracked his frame.

It took a few minutes for the voices to start forming words to him. The Turk director was nowhere near able to tell where he was yet, but he could hear Elena and Rude talking in reasonably calm tones. Apparently the two of them had survived the crash. The crash...that was the last thing he remembered. What had happened? Who would have had had the nerve to shoot down a Shinra chopper—wait.

Shinra. It was gone. All of it just...gone. And Reno, he had been killed. At least, he thought so. This confusion was infuriating.

Judging by the softness beneath him he deduced he was in some sort of bed, and the numb warmth he felt must have been the effects of a potion. Tentatively he fought to force his eyelids to cooperate, but his subconscious felt heavy and he couldn't manage it. So, he resigned himself to listening instead.

"...just left." Tseng caught Rude's deep tone.

"I guess you couldn't hear what he was saying, though?" Elena.

A silence followed: Rude's version of 'no'.

"This all just seems so...so off." The woman sounded tired. "It's completely backwards. Shinra gets leveled, we've got no place to go, and Cloud and his group are the ones who take us in? What is this world coming to."

_Strife,_ Tseng processed. _We've been taken under the remnant of AVALANCHE's wing. Never once did I imagine this as a possibility._

Elena sighed heavily.

"Don't worry, Elena."

Silence.

"Tseng will know what to do."

_I will, will I. If only that were true..._

"If he wakes up. Tifa said he should be fine, but who knows how long it will take for him to come to? And what if something happens and he takes a turn for the worst? We've used up just about all of their stock of potions and a lot of their time and space. They won't keep us here forever. Besides, whoever did this might come looking for us! A bar isn't the safest place to lay low for us two...let alone the director. And in his condition there's no way he'll be fighting for a while. We don't even have weapons anymore! And also–"

"Elena."

The frazzled Turk stopped short, letting out a defeated sigh laced with sadness. Something inside Tseng shifted at this desperation in her voice. A lump rose in his throat.

"I know, Rude! I know." Her voice shook. "I'm a Turk, right? And Turks–don't–cry..."

She wanted to burst into sobs so badly. Ever quivering word struck Tseng right in the heart. How many times had he scolded her for tears welling in her eyes? Those were his very words, and she dared not allow herself the release of emotion she so desperately desired.

For his sake.

It was true that being a Turk meant swallowing unnecessary feeling often times, at least in his opinion. It was true that being a woman in the Turks left no room for exceptions. And yet, now, after everything they had put their stock in, their commitment into, their lives down for had come to a sudden end, Tseng found himself feeling guilty for those petty reprimands. Unexplainable emotion swirled within him, and in his state of mind he couldn't find the strength to control it properly. Hazy images of Elena's grief danced across his mind, and for a moment he thought he was actually seeing her face above his. But then it faded away and he was left in dark silence...left to his thoughts.

It was hot: so, so hot. Thirst dried his tongue. In his mind he spoke 'water' but his lips refused to move at all. Tseng was trapped inside his own mind, and to make matters worse even _that _wasn't behaving. Why was this happening? It was just Elena. Clumsy, forgetful, bumbling, pathetic, sad, kind, lovely...Elena? He was compromised in every possible way, and the lack of discipline and strength he was used to portraying merely served to add to his frustrations. Curse this delirium.

A silent tear slid down his face, mingling with the beads of perspiration clinging to his cheek.

"I'm going to go get some water."

"Ok."

"Maybe I can get Tseng to drink something. Do you want anything while I'm down there, Rude?"

"No. Thanks."

Her steps began fading away and then stopped short.

"You should try to get some sleep, Rude. It will help."

"..."

The walking began again and then went out of earshot.

Silence.

Rude shifted.

Silence.

Soft steps returned the way they had come.

Suddenly, Tseng felt a cool hand on his burning neck, lifting up his head a little. Ire and desperation boiled inside him. He was so weak...so...very..._weak._ Elena sighed.

"Come on, Tseng. You've gotta get some water in you or that fever's never coming down."

She said it beneath her breath, so quietly Rude probably hadn't even noticed. But Tseng clung to her voice like a lifeline...an escape from the dark mire that was his swimming head. Gently, a cup was placed to his lips and before his knew it–water! Oh, how _good_. Cold as ice to his warm body, it worked like a miracle: banishing the hold unconsciousness had. Blearily his eyes slid open.

"_Elena."_

Her eyes widened and relief settled wonderfully across her face. Sparkling droplets formed in her eyes and she grinned widely, even giggling a little.

"Rude! Tseng–The Director's awake!"

"Cid, anything?"

Cloud sped through the night on Fenrir, the cool air rushing over him. He had decided to return to the scene of the crash to see if he could find anything that might explain what was going on with the latest Shinra fiasco. The clean-up crews had done their job too well, however, and there was nothing left of the wreckage by the time he got there. So now he roared through the streets back towards the 7th Heaven.

People still milled about the street despite the late hour. Apparently he wasn't the only one interested in knowing the full story.

"As far as I can tell, the place's totaled. All collapsed. Judging by the damage to the other buildings, well, let's just say there ain't no way in this world anyone'd survive if they was inside."

"So we won't be hearing from Rufus anytime soon."

"Doesn't look likely."

"..."

"Something ain't quite right though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the burn marks and debris for one. They don't lay right. Them Turks mentioned a rocket, didn't they? Hittin' their copter, right?"

"That's right."

"I just assumed that since it was a rocket that took 'em out, it'd be something similar here...some projectile or something like that. But it doesn't look to me like that. Also, I talked to a couple of people out here that saw what happened, and they seemed to think the explosive wasn't set from the air or nothing."

"Meaning?"

"Somebody lit this thing from the inside."

Processing Cid's words, Cloud's frown deepened.

"So you're saying one of the one's we've got at Tifa's place–"

"No. That wouldn't explain their rocket mishap. They had nothing to do with it, appears to me."

"Then who?"

"I'll try to poke around and see if I can figure anything out. Meanwhile, you'd best get back to the 7th Heaven. Whoever's done this is either deader than a doornail or at large. And if that last one's the case, you need to keep close to them kids you got incase anyone tries to pay your guests a visit."

"Right. I'll do that."

_*click*_

Slowing down just enough to focus on the speed dial, Cloud called up the second member of AVALANCHE he had sent out. While waiting for her to pick up he began turning over the events of the day in his mind, searching for something...anything...he had overlooked. The idea of AVALANCHE taking out Shinra was one thing. An insider or a third party wiping out the entire Shinra company while remaining anonymous: that was another.

And it made him uneasy.

"Yuffie here!"

"Yuffie, it's Cloud. Made any progress?"

"Umm...a little. Give me time, ok? This isn't as easy as it sounds!"

"I didn't say any–"

"Oh! I talked to some of the patients and doctors at the hospital like you asked. None of the patients knew what actually happened. Some said they saw a helicopter take off, some say a car and then a helicopter, and some say a car, then a helicopter, and THEN a car! Also, when I asked the doctors about not allowing Shinra employees in and they said they 'didn't know' or they had 'no comment'. But some mentioned that families are taking in the wounded off the streets. Pretty nice of them...except for the fact that it's Shinra we're talking about saving here!"

"Doesn't matter now. Cid says the building and everyone inside was wiped out."

"Ooooh I guess not. But still! It just feels so...wrong!"

"Yuffie–"

"Anyhoo, I shouldn't be much longer. I'll have that thing you asked for in a jiff! You know you can count on me for a sneak and swipe job like this. It's like taking candy from a baby!"

"Not as easy as it it sounds, huh."

"Oooh, shut up!"

_*click*_


	5. Chapter 5

**NOTE: Been watching WAAAY too much Bleach lately. Sorry this story is taking so long. Hang in there! And if I get lazy, send me a message to kick me in the butt, will ya? ^.^ Thanks a million! P.S. : Pray for Japan. :'(**

It was an hour before dawn by the time Cloud returned to the 7th Heaven. The city had long ago settled down, and between the wind exposure and exhaustion he felt numb. The evening had proved somewhat fruitful: Cid had discovered new evidence regarding the explosion and Yuffie was almost finished with her task. Cloud himself had done some investigating, but soon the still of the night and the rush of the breeze called louder than any clue had–and he couldn't help but answer. Foggily he slid off Fenrir, trudging towards the door. He found it locked, but he had the key and within moments he was inside the silent bar.

Unlatching the sword from his back, he sighed heavily. It wouldn't be long before he'd just have to get up again, so he decided to check in on the occupants instead of crashing...as much as he wanted to. As quietly as his boots allowed he climbed the stairs to the second floor. Elena was curled up under a massive pile of blankets at Tseng's head, who seemed to be sleepling peacefully. Rude sat next to Reno: his back leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. Beneath those shades of his it was hard to tell if the guy was awake or not, but since he didn't move as Cloud passed, he assumed the bald Turk was asleep, a bloodied rag in his hand.

_I know what it's like...losing a friend, _Strife thought to himself, a knowing look settling on his face. _For once, looks like we have something in common._

Next, Cloud stuck his head inside the kids' room. Heavy, even breathing met his ears. A small smile escaped him as he stood in the doorway watching them snooze. They sure were something else, those two. It had definitely been difficult at first to adjust to the idea of runts running around under his feet, but now...man, he couldn't imagine life without them. They kept him going when things got rough. They gave him a reason to stand up and fight, to put his life on the line. Marlene and Denzel had become his treasures, and they idolized and adored him like no one else ever had. There was nothing like the unconditional love of a child. And he was humbled and honored to love them back.

Silently he shut the door behind him and crossed the hall, looking in on Tifa. The woman slept uneasily, shifting every few moments. She was worried, he knew. Tifa never liked going to bed without knowing where he was, but as much as she hated it she never pressed him. Instead, she would comment that she was concerned or would like to hear from him more, and that always said more to him than a tongue-lashing could. He was lucky to have her at his back. Slipping his boots off he tread softly until he stood over her. Stress lines were etched into her sleeping face, and he never liked seeing that. Brushing a stray lock of her raven hair aside, he put his lips to her forehead...ever so gently. Like magic the lines melted away and Cloud caught a glimpse of a smile gracing her mouth as she turned on her side. Warmth rose in his cheeks.

Amazing how soft a guy could get when he was tired.

Gradually he made his way back through the mass of Turks and down the stairs into the main area of the bar.

_Guess I'll wait for Cid or Yuffie to get back,_ he thought to himself. Cloud sat himself down on one of the many tabletops and stretched, trying to keep alert. It wouldn't be long before one of the two stragglers made it back and then he'd need to be ready to plan their next move...and figure out what to do with the Turks. They couldn't hide in the 7th Heaven forever.

Slowly, he lay down on the table with his hands behind his head: staring up at the ceiling. Faces flashed in his mind.

Tifa's smile. Denzel's wave. Marlene's giggle.

Elena's tears. Tseng's frown. Rude's glare. Reno's smirk.

And then there had been Rufus.

So much to do...so much unknown...so little information...so little time...

~8~8~8~8~

_**BANG**_

Cloud shot off the table, knocking two chairs over in the process. He cast about, frantic and groggy, until he caught sight of the young girl standing in his doorway, hand on her hip. Yuffie burst out laughing as he froze realizing how stupid he had to look. The startled man ran his fingers through his hair, inhaling deeply to slow his heart.

"HAHAHA! Good grief, Cloud! You must have been wiped out. I knocked on that door 50 freakin' times and you still didn't answer! I had to kick the door in! Hope you don't mind. But it is kinda your fault ya know! And BOY did you ever JUMP! HAHAHA!"

"What was that noise?" Tifa rushed down the stairs. She saw Cloud and Yuffie and her pace relaxed considerably as she reached them.

"What...what time did you both get in?"

"...a little after four."

"Just now! And I am totally bushed–not to mention starving."

"I'll get you both something to eat," Tifa replied, hurrying off to the kitchen.

"Thanks Tifa! My stomach was making so much noise it complicated things. I almost didn't get what you asked me for! I took the time to talk to several of the personnel at the hospital and they were a tight lipped bunch for sure. But I got a few snippets here and there and basically it sounds like a big payoff. I will say nobody seemed to happy about it though, so I'm not sure what that means but it can't be good. Nope! Not good at all!"

"Yuffie," Cloud interrupted, "did you get it?"

"Oh!" The girl reached into a pouch and produced a golden feather, shimmering with magic. Cloud nodded.

"Good work. A Phoenix Down."

"They're just lucky it was you who asked for it," Yuffie frowned. "If it was up to me...well, you know." She placed the precious commodity in Cloud's open hand. It weighed absolutely nothing. And yet this fragile thing was worth a man's life. A pang of remorse pulsed through him as he turned the thing over and over, watching the hazy reflection of his eyes in the golden down. Man...he would have killed for one of these back when–

_Don't even go there,_ he told himself, turning his gaze back to Yuffie.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it!"

An amazing smell wafted from the kitchen. Yuffie plopped into the nearest chair and giggled excitedly.

"Alright! Food...finally! I thought I was going to die I was so hungry. But nothing stops me for long: that's the incredible strength of the ninja in me!"

Cloud started for the stairs.

"Tell Tifa I'll be down in a second."

"Sure thing. But you'd better hurry. I may eat your food too if you're not back here quick!"

This comment earned her a half-hearted glare as Cloud turned and ascended the steps.

Elena and Rude crowded at the top, both looking ready for a fight.

"What was that noise?" Elena snapped.

"Yuffie," Cloud replied, pushing past them. "She just got back."

"The Wutai girl," Rude stated. Cloud nodded, facing them.

"I asked her to get this. Thought it might help."

He held the feather up gingerly. Elena's eyes grew wide. Rude's fists clenched and released...clenched and released.

"A Phoenix Down?" Elena breathed. Her eyes drifted to the cold body resting on the floor.

"That's right. But we all know there's a big possibility it won't–"

"Give it to me."

Cloud's attention jerked to Rude. The SOLDIER wannabe had never heard more than monotone from the big Turk. Ever. But this...the iced severity of his tone...it was unnerving. Especially when his eyes were hidden behind those dark shades of his. Rude held out a hand, and Cloud could feel the intensity of his stare piercing right through him. Cloud tensed, a crease forming on his brow–that is until he noticed the ever so faint trembling in Rude's hand. And suddenly, he found himself understanding this man for the second time in 24 hours: after years of hatred and bitter animosity. The idea struck him in the face like cold water.

The Turks...they had hearts...after all...

His mind flashed: in the hidden eyes of Rude he saw his own memories replayed and felt that familiar sting.

The friendly banter of two 'country boys' laughing and giving each other a hard time.

Blurry days on end only eased by fragmented visions of a contented smile and a hand in his hair.

The scream that tore from his own body as that precious life had ended before his eyes.

...that same smile etched onto Zack's bloodied face...

"Strife."

Rude's cold voice snatched him from his thoughts. Cloud's features softened considerably. Without hesitation he placed the Down in the Turk's outstretched hand and stepped back.

_Let's hope this works_...

~8~8~8~8~8~

Rude brushed past Elena, a newfound urgency to his step. Quickly knelt next to Reno. He didn't waste any time: within seconds he had uncovered his chest and placed the Down on the hole there. Elena knelt behind Rude and Cloud stood back a little, watching.

"What's...happening?"

Elena's head whipped around. In the midst of everything Tseng had been forgotten...probably asleep until he heard Rude's stern voice. He was sitting up on one elbow and looking annoyed that he had been left out of whatever proceedings were going on around him. Then caught sight of the golden feather resting on their dead comrade's chest.

"A Phoenix Down."

Silence.

"Nothing's happening," Elena whispered the hope fading from her voice.

Rude's face was set almost as if he thought he could make the magic take hold with sheer willpower. Even so, Reno remained maddeningly unchanged. Several agonizing seconds went by, but gradually it became to obvious to everyone that nothing was going to happen. Cloud took a step back, lowering his eyes. Tseng exhaled heavily despite his injuries and Elena's shoulders sagged. But Rude refused to give in.

_I'm not done. Not yet. Come on, Reno. Come on. Come on._

Nothing.

Rude's fist slammed to the floor swearing under his breath. Everyone jumped. Elena put a hand to his arm but the frustrated man shrugged it off bitterly.

"Rude..."

"Shut up, Elena."

Elena's eyes widened, then softened.

"His time's up," she continued, even as Rude grunted angrily. "There was nothing you could do for him then, and there's nothing you can do for him now. It's hard, and I can't imagine how you feel...but...the fact is, Reno is gone."

"I told you. Shut up."

"It's over, Rude!" Elena said, louder than she had meant to. "He's dead. Wouldn't you rather remember him the way he was? I know I would! Wouldn't you rather put him to rest...give him the chance to finally be at peace? He wouldn't want to see you this way: all worked up and killing yourself over something that can't be changed...especially if he was involved! You know he hated it when you'd beat yourself up or put yourself in danger for his sake. You could probably even tell me exactly what he'd say to you if he could see you right now!"

_Oh Rude. You idiot. What'd you go and do that for?_

Cloud took the opportunity to head back downstairs. It didn't feel right for him to be there at the moment, like he was intruding on a wake he wasn't invited to. Tseng's arm couldn't hold him up any longer, and he didn't want to see any more as it was. He took one last look at the body before collapsing back into the bed, feeling defeated. Elena continued.

"We have nowhere to go. Shinra's a pile of rubble and so is everything we were before. This is a chance to start again. Do you want to go into it with the weight of...of this?... Well, I won't let you! And neither would he! Face it, Rude. It's over. Reno is not coming back!"

Rude sat in silence for a long moment, eventually turning to face her. His underlying anger had melted with her words and now his face looked utterly blank.

"Someone's gonna pay."

"Rude..."

"His life was more important to me than my own. Someone. Will. Pay."

Elena froze, taken aback by this sudden emotional outburst.

A low humming sound suddenly caught their attention, followed by a ringing. It sounded like it was coming...from behind them...?

In a burst of gold the Phoenix Down vanished, bathing Reno in gentle light. The horrible wound that had taken his life closed and faded as the light grew dim. And then, just as suddenly, all was still again.

Tseng heard the noise and hoisted himself up again, but froze when he saw what had just happened.

Elena didn't dare breathe.

Rude's heart pounded in his chest.

Silence.

Rude leaned close to his friends face, just in case the unthinkable had happened and somehow the body could hear him.

"Reno...?"

His bright red hair made both the deathly white of his skin stand out terribly.

No one moved.

Then...

Blue eyes appeared just barely beneath heavy, dark lashes.

"Reno!"


	6. Chapter 6

"Reno, can you hear us?"

"Come on, guy. Wake up."

"I can't believe this."

"It worked after all?"

"Incredible."

"Reno..."

Reno's half open eyes stared emptily up at the crowd of both Turks and ex-AVALANCHE around him. After the shouting had started Tifa and Cloud had rushed upstairs, followed shortly by Yuffie who didn't like seeing a Turk dead or alive. But despite this her enthusiasm returned instantly as soon as those around her got excited about what was happening. She didn't really care what it was about anymore. She just liked getting excited.

"Reno, are you awake? Can you move?" Elena coaxed. Reno just lay there, blank, his chest rising and falling ever so slightly. She sighed in frustration.

"Don't worry, Elena," Tifa said, coming to sit beside her. "I'm sure he'll come around eventually."

"When has he ever *not* been lazy about something he's had to work at," Tseng interjected from his pallet. Sweat glistened on his face from the exertion of forcing his body into submission, keeping himself propped up. Elena noticed.

"You should lie down."

"I'll be fine. Thank you."

_Stubborn_, Elena thought to herself.

"Hey," Rude called to his apparently comatose friend.

Reno's eyelids fluttered closed.

"Not happening." Rude grabbed Reno's shoulder and squeezed hard. The tired eyes opened again. Rude began gently tapping the side of his face.

"Maybe you should let him rest, Rude," Tifa urged. "He's been through a lot and–"

"No. This always works. Just watch."

Rude squeezed his friend's shoulder again, and then began shaking him gently. The red-head blinked repeatedly for a moment.

"Reno."

A shallow breath.

"...Rude...?"

It was barely audible, but it was enough to set the whole room talking in excited relief. Elena grabbed Rude in a sudden hug, which made him blush and grunt uncomfortably. Tseng felt strangely unhappy about her sudden action. Yuffie cheered.

Cloud shook his head. _She was just talking about how she wouldn't have helped the Turks if it had been up to her. Women._

"Tifa? What's going on?"

Tifa turned and saw Denzel peeping from his doorway, Marlene's head popping up and down behind his as she tried to see past him. Quickly Tifa stood.

"One of the Turks woke up," she explained. "Good news, huh?" Think fast, Tifa. They don't need to see Reno this way. "Would you two like some breakfast?"

Both nodded and followed Tifa downstairs, casting uneasy and curious glances at their houseguests as they passed by. Just before descending, the two looked back, trying to catch a peek of what was happening. Cloud took a step forward.

"Go on Denzel. Get something to eat."

Cloud's eyes widened for a moment, trying to get the point across to the boy that this wasn't something Marlene needed in her head. Denzel nodded slightly as understanding dawned. Quickly, he grabbed the little girl's hand and pulled.

"I'm starving. Let's eat!" he said, taking a step down the stairs. Marlene hesitated only a moment before her adopted brother's enthusiasm overtook her attention.

"Yeah! I hope we get sweet cakes!"

The small party raced down and out of sight. Yuffie wasn't far behind them: suddenly growing bored now that things were settling down. This allowed Cloud to turn his attention back to what was happening.

Rude shifted, making it easier for his friend to see him. Blue eyes met his shaded ones, and something twisted uneasily in the sturdy Turk's gut...remembering the last time this scenario had happened. _Funny,_ he thought to himself. _I always figured you were bound to get taken out on the job one of these days. But by the same token, I also thought that whenever the time came you'd just tell fate to kiss your butt and keep living whether you were meant to or not. Guess I was right all the way around._ A spark of life crept into Reno's eyes as he processed what he was seeing.

"...you...dead...?"

_You lucky idiot. I'm so glad you're back._

"No," Rude replied. "You're not either."

"...not dead."

"No."

"..."

"..."

"Huh...who-da-...thunk."

Rude smirked. Just the response he was hoping for.

"Hey there, Reno." Elena edged in next to Rude, a relieved smile on her face.

It seemed to take Reno a moment to comprehend another person in his line of sight. He blinked several slow times.

"Laney."

"That's right. How do you feel? Are you in any pain?"

The red-head lay silent, seemingly pondering...or just blanking: it was hard to tell.

"...don't feel much." He inhaled deeply but stopped short, his breath catching. Tight, narrowed eyes answered for him as he shuddered from the inside out.

Cloud glanced around the room at the potions and elixirs scattered all over the place. All of them were empty, and it was obvious that the two incapacitated Turks were going to need more of it. He sighed inwardly as this added one more thing to his mental checklist.

Elena gave Reno's arm a comforting squeeze, exchanging a knowing look with Rude. 

_He's back, but he's not out of the woods yet._

"Get some rest now, okay?" the blonde Turk suggested. Rude nodded his agreement. Reno stared long and hard at the two of them, his eyes drifting back and forth between faces. Slowly, they drifted shut...only to jerk back open again. Rude frowned as he watched his friend force himself awake a second time...and then a third. Reno's body so needed rest and yet something akin to listlessness settled onto the redhead's face.

Rude frowned at his friend's discomfort.

"Say..." Reno began. The raw, rough edge in his voice made Elena cringe. "Either of you have a drink-on hand?..." He coughed: the kind of cough that sucks the wind right out of you. It took several moments for him to gulp enough air back in to speak again. "And-*cough*-when I say 'drink' I'm not talking...about OJ."

Tseng chuckled a little despite himself.

Rude looked at Cloud as if to say, "Well?"

"And another thing..." The redhead's voice was dropping off heavily. "Somebody mind-telling-me where I am? Cuz if this ain't the Lifestream...then it sure as Shin-Ra better not...be..."

"You're in Tifa's bar, Reno." Cloud spoke up for the first time. This voice didn't seem to compute with Reno's immediate memory. His brow furrowed as he very obviously began sorting through identities in his mind.

"Strife." Rude supplied. Reno's expression relaxed, catching on.

"Got ya. Thanks, partner," he said under his already quiet breath.

"I'll see what Tifa has for you down at the counter," Cloud stated, leaving the Turks to their reunion. He always felt odd in the middle of things like that anyway. This was a good excuse to get out for a minute.

"Tifa's bar? The 7th Heaven...what the heck are we-doing here?" Reno asked as Cloud's footsteps faded down the stairs. "And," his eyes found Elena, "where did you come...from? What's this all about...?"

"I'm not sure we even know," Tseng answered.

"…Tseng, too, huh."

"That's right."

Reno sighed, exasperated.

"What—is this. A slumber party? Would somebody please …just give it to me…straight. It's hard enough to foll—ow you without having to sort through…all this code-talk crap."

Elena looked at Tseng, who shot her a hesitant frown. But the truth would come out sooner or later as it was. The director decided upon sooner.

"It appears," he began "that Shin-Ra was destroyed."

**SLAM. _CRASH!_**

A horrendous noise below made everyone on the second floor jump. Suddenly the whole building was filled with the sounds of boots, shouts, and the startled shrieking of the two children. Tifa's confusion and Cloud anger along with an irate Yuffie's scathing remarks could be plainly heard, and without warning armed men swarmed up the stairs, their weapons trained on the Turks.

"LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS!"

"PUT YOUR HAND WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"

"KEEP THEM UP! KEEP THEM UP!"

Everything was utter chaos. Within seconds over a dozen soldiers had descended on the four, frisking and going over every nook and cranny...apparently searching for anything that might be used as a weapon against them. Two guards hauled Elena to her feet unceremoniously and shoved her at one of their burly comrades, who promptly restrained her within his iron grip. Tseng had pushed his body into a sitting position, yelling for an explanation, but his requests were cut short when he found himself staring down the barrel of three loaded guns. Rude was up and establishing a defensive position in front of his downed partner in an instant. Fists raised and jaw clenched, there was no way any of these intruders were getting to Reno...not even over his dead body. Reno's eyes were shut tight and his head pounded: too much noise...too much moving around him...his unsteady consciousness was starting to fade as all the action slammed into his swimming head.

"None of you take a step, do you understand?" A sturdy older soldier stepped into view. It was obvious that he was in command of this operation. The assailants stood at attention as entered the room. The man seemed somewhat surprised to find the group before him in such a sorry state. But suddenly he strode forward, making a direct line for Tseng like some sniper locking onto a target.

"You sir," he addressed the injured director, "you're in charge of these men, correct?"

"I am." Tseng was all professionalism, even under the current circumstances. Straight faced and collected as ever, he faced the commander without so much as a blink.

"Very good. I'm going to need to ask you a few questions."

"Ask what you like. I can't promise I'll have your answer."

The commander smirked, genuinely impressed by this weakened man's resolve under pressure.

"These aren't going to be difficult questions, Director." Tseng raised one eyebrow, his face unchanged. "Yes, I know who you are, sir. But for the sake of protocol I have to ask you anyway.

"Are you Director Tseng: in charge of the Department of Administrative Research?"

There was no sense in attempting to hide their identity, Tseng knew. Evidently these men knew already, and the head Turk felt no malice in the commander's questions. Whoever he was taking orders from, they were strictly that: orders. No ill-will involved.

"I am."

"You might as well drop the pleasantries and just call us Turks," Elena snapped, jerking against her captor's hold.

The commander turned, noting her situation. It seemed to not quite settle right with him, but he did nothing.

"Of course," he nodded in her direction. Then, his focus returned to Tseng. "Director: is it true that your subordinates were in the offices of a Mr. Ni yesterday in the early hours of the morning?"

"..."

"Director, I would like to make this as simple and quick as possible. Your silence isn't helping me."

"Your presence here isn't helping _me_, officer."

The commander stood in silence for several moments, examining the situation. Tseng kept face well, but his body began to lose to his injuries and he knew it would be long before he would be forced to rest. But as long as he could maintain the façade of strength, he most certainly would.

Finally the silence was broken.

"Well," the commander began, "let me introduce myself. I'm Sergeant Campbell of the WRO, and I've been sent here to arrest the four of you and bring you into headquarters. So, as of now, you are all going to have to come with me."

Disbelief streaked through Elena. She took in their situation: surrounded, weaponless, and without a name like Shin-Ra to back them up, escape was both imperative and impossible. Not to mention that Tseng would have a rough time going far in his condition...and she didn't even want to think about moving Reno at this point.

Rude apparently had the same thought. He glanced over his shoulder at his partner and frowned at what he saw. His face was set hard and cold as he turned back to those surrounding him. His face spoke for him.

_Try it. I dare you._

"Hold on a minute!" Tifa made her way through the maze of men up the stairs. Several soldiers escorted her, Cloud and Yuffie to the scene.

"Miss Lockheart, I asked you and your companions to stay out of the way for your own safety," Sergeant Campbell stated.

"As if we needed your advice." Cloud. His buster sword wasn't with him: apparently it had been confiscated in the chaos, but he didn't need it. Every soldier there knew who he was and what he was capable of. The ones in charge of keeping him in check seemed especially uneasy. "I want some things answered myself. You can start by telling me what you're doing in my house."

"Cid Highwind informed my commander of the situation here," Campbell began without hesitation.

"Cid...?" Yuffie yelped.

"What do you mean situation?" Cloud interrupted her.

"That's something I can't tell you." Before Strife had a chance to press for more information, the sergeant turned to his men abruptly. "Men, prepare to move out. Riker, take the girl. You two bring the Director, and you," he stepped in front of Rude. The large Turk tensed, his fists clenching involuntarily as he stared down in obvious hatred of the man before him. Despite this fact, a form of understanding was plainly seen on Campbell's face. "We don't have time for you to carry the wounded one alone: you'll just slow us down. But I see no problem with you assisting one of my men in getting him on his feet."

Anger flared in Rude. It was a measure of security more than a kind gesture: Campbell had guessed correctly that Rude would not take off without his partner. But still, it was ridiculous to think that anybody was going to get Reno 'on his feet' in the near future. He glared behind his shades.

"Is it a deal?" Campbell pressed.

Rude nodded, growling a bit beneath his breath. Campbell nodded back.

"Alright everyone, get ready to move out!" Campbell's order set the whole place moving.

"Oh, and Strife," he added He leveled the ex-SOLDIER wannabe a warning glace, which was matched with an intense glare. "Don't get in the way. Trust me."

The soldiers hauled Tseng upright, sending his vision spiraling into darkness. One final thought took him as his world went under.

_We are still Turks...and this **isn't** over..._


	7. Chapter 7

(NOTE: Due to the many responses on this sight and elsewhere, I have decided to continue this story. I hope you all continue to enjoy! And sorry if it sent you multiple emails...my compy is a witch.)

Like so much worthless baggage, the Turks were dragged out of the 7th Heaven and marched down the block towards a row of trucks in the distance. Cloud, Yuffie, and Tifa crowded in the doorway, looking after them. Denzel had taken Marlene and barricaded the both of them under a table inside. Tifa took a step forward, furious, but Cloud caught her arm.  
"Don't."

"What?"

"Just wait. Later."  
The soldiers hadn't wasted any time. Elena fought with all of her might to free herself from her brutish captor, her heart racing, her eyes locked on the slumped form of Director Tseng in front of her. All it had taken was a sudden shift in position to take his consciousness from him, and now he hung like a rag between two guards, his hair loose and askew. He looked absolutely horrible and helpless. Elena hated it.

"Get OFF OF ME!" she screamed, throwing elbows...or at least trying to. With the big goon holding her arms to her sides it was more like shrugging her shoulders. Riker the Galoot didn't seem to even notice. She growled, refusing to resign herself to the fact that she would shortly be carted into a vehicle and taken off to the headquarters of the World Regenesis Organization. What did they want anyway? Shin-Ra had made sure to have nothing to do with the WRO. Shin-Ra had kept low and done whatever they could to find their own quiet way to bring the planet back up to par while researching energy replacements: without getting involved in the affairs of their counterpart. The WRO on the other hand had gradually gained power and public favor, and had on many occasions offered to buy off the small, recovering Shin-Ra Co. Their research facilities were top notch, their position, respected.

Rufus had despised them.

Behind the comatose Tseng and fuming Elena, Rude was helping Reno 'stay on his feet' along with one of Campbell's cronies. He wasn't having much luck. The redhead had maintained consciousness but that was about it. His whole body heaved with trembling and whatever color he had regained–vanished. Rude's jaw tightened. He didn't look at his partner; he knew if he did things would get ugly fast. And besides, he didn't need to look to know just how hard this was on the skinny Turk. Reno was wheezing terribly, fighting a coughing fit, Rude knew. Despite his best efforts, he seemed to be having a difficult time placing his feet properly. Desperation and frustration laced his breathing, although he tried his best to hide it. Rude stopped short and shifted, attempting to make Reno more comfortable.

"Keep moving," the soldier barked. Rude tensed, forcing himself to do nothing. This was unheard of: commonplace soldiers herding one of the most advanced and lethal units the world had to offer around like a flock of sheep. Also, a military unit with any sense should have known that it was ridiculous to ask two nearly spent people to get up and walk to the place they were being 'escorted' to. It was totally below the WRO, and that was saying something.

A wet cough escaped Reno, and the back of his trembling hand covered his mouth to try and keep the noise down. Rude frowned, his ire rising. An impatient guard behind him jabbed the butt of his gun into the red's back. Blood sprayed the arm of Rude's coat as Reno lurched forward, coughing up crimson.

That did it.

Rude turned towards the man, seemingly calm. The soldier readied himself to bark another order but he never got the chance. The big Turk punched the unsuspecting guard full in the face, but it didn't stop there. Reno dropped from his grip as Rude grabbed the man, slamming him up against the wall of the closest building. His expression didn't change. He never said a word. But with one fist the man was silenced as his jaw snapped. He didn't hear the other soldiers or Elena shouting at him to run. A shot was fired into the air, but even that didn't register in his subconscious. The victim of his anger dropped to the ground. Suddenly four guards were on top of Rude, attempting to restrain him, but he wasn't about let that happen. This one was for the President...he threw one man to the ground. That one was for Tseng...another one met his knee and then the concrete. This one was for Elena: a guard went spinning. And THAT one was for–

"RUDE!" He froze. His knuckles throbbed. Reno. In an instant, a small mass of soldiers descended on Rude, forcing his hands behind his back and securing them. One kicked him to his knees while another whipped out a retractable rod and raised it to strike.

"ENOUGH!" Sargent Campbell trotted forward, shoving his men back. He hauled Rude to his feet and stared down his men. "Our orders were to bring them in alive and unharmed. Was that not clear?"

One soldier stepped forward. "But sir, he–"

"Never mind what he did! Was that an order or wasn't it?"

"It was, Sargent."

"Then I suggest you FOLLOW it!"

"Yes sir!" The men snapped to attention.

"You, see to Private Sorr. Get him into the truck. And you, get that redhead up: we're wasting time." The men scattered to obey. Rude stiffened in Campbell's grip as three soldiers picked Reno up off the pavement. The ailing Turk didn't have the gusto to argue, but before they took him and made off towards the trucks he had just enough time to make eye contact with Rude. He was paying for the shout he had managed and couldn't speak at this point, but his eyes griped for him.

_Give it a rest. I'm fine, you idiot._

They hauled him away. Rude frowned and stood, several sturdy guards at his back.

"Well, that wasn't very wise," Sargent Campbell said stiffly. "Are you alright?"

Rude tried to get a feel for what Campbell was getting at. The Sargent seemed to read this.

"It's hard to stand by and helplessly watch a friend suffer. I've seen it time and again."

Silence.

"Come on. We're on a schedule and we need to keep moving. I'll make certain that your hands are freed once you're inside the truck so that you can see to your companion...that is if you can restrain yourself around my men." Rude grunted. "Do I have your word?" Silence prevailed for a moment. But Rude finally nodded. "I'll hold you to that, Rude."

~88888888~

Rude was the last of the Turks to be loaded into the secured van waiting for them. As the door shut, Elena rushed at him, frantic.

"It's Tseng: he's burning up again. I can't get him to come to. He needs water or something but there's nothing in here to cool him down with. We don't have Ice materia and if I can't get control of his fever quick there's a good chance he'll–"

"Stop," Rude said. Elena's frenzied mind paused. "We'll help him."

"But how, Rude. How?" Panic edged her voice. "Just look at him! And Reno's a mess…what makes you think that we'll all make it out of this just fine and dandy?"

"We're Turks."Elena's mouth shut tight.

_I swear, Rude. Why do you always have to pull that one out when I least want to hear it._

The engine roared to life and the convoy started swore beneath her breath and moved to the far back wall where the Director lay. His dark hair dripped with sweat and rolled off the tip of his nose and chin. Tseng panted miserably, the heat in his body overwhelming his breathing. The female Turk couldn't take another thought, Elena eased the Director from the awkward position the guards had left him in. His head now rested in her lap. Quickly she unbuttoned his shirt and began fanning him. It was all she could do.

"Here." Rude fished the rag he had used on Reno the night before out of his jacket. It was stained with dried blood, but it would have to do. "Thanks," she replied. Hastily she dabbed the sweat from his brow, then his neck. _There is some good in the fact that Tseng's out right now, _Elena thought to herself, blushing. _If he knew he was lying shirtless in my lap I think he might just_ _die here and now. _She laughed as she pictured what his face would look like if he found out. And then tears welled up once more. She couldn't believe just how much she wanted to hear one of his lectures on crying on the job. Or hear him shout at Reno for not getting his paperwork done on time. Speaking of which...

Rude's attention was once again turned to Reno, who was propped up against the rear doors, wheezing and shaking in a bad way. The redhead fought hard to keep himself from coughing. Rude sat by, not knowing how to help.

"Took too long," he said to himself.

"Wha...?" Reno managed.

"The Pheonix Down. Cloud found one. But it took too long."

"...it...t-took...though."

"But you're still messed up."

"Y-you're...messed up."

Rude smirked.

Reno nearly coughed, but caught himself just in time. Absently he rubbed shakily at the blood on his chin, but this only served to smear it further. He sighed: both in exhaustion and mock defeat. His shaded comrade frowned.

"Rude...?" It was Elena, fear lacing her voice. Rude paused but Reno gave him the 'I'm ok' nod. The big Turk couldn't fully stand in such tight quarters, so he shuffled towards the back as best as he could. The blonde Turk was holding their Director gently in her lap, shaking her head unhappily."It's bad Rude," she kept repeating. "It's bad." Rude followed her gaze and grimaced. Dark black and blue bruises had spread like an infection over Tseng's chest and stomach. The shaded Turk touched the wounded skin and grimaced at the intensity of the fever. Rude's jaw tightened, and for a rare second he seemed genuinely worried to Elena. Whatever minor internal injuries Tseng had incurred were now life-threatening. If he didn't get help, it would be losing a Turk all over again. And even as the thought entered his head, the Director's breathing lost proper rhythm. Elena swore through bitten lips.

All of a sudden she turned, pounding with both fists on the wall separating herself from the cab of the van. Over and over again, she slammed the metal with her bare hands until both were red and raw. In unrestrained anger, Elena screamed at her captors, willing them to hear her.

"Hey! HEY! LISTEN TO ME! THESE MEN ARE DYING BACK HERE! STOP THE TRUCK! PLEASE JUST STOP THE DAMN TRUCK! SOMEBODY HELP OR…..SOMETHING! DO ANYTHING! PLEASE!"

Rude watched in silence.

"I NEED SOME WATER OR A MEDIC! A POTION! PLEASE, BY EVERYTHING DECENT, JUST HELP!"

Elena paused, straining her ears for some sign of a slowing engine or a voice…..Nothing. Spent, she slumped back against the far corner, the Director still in her arms, and wept.

Rude found himself silenced. Elena's angry sobs, Tseng's strained panting, Reno's wet breaths…it was an awful grouping of sounds.

And all the while the van's engines whined and the tires continued to rumble into the unknown.

~888888~

Two men occupied a large, clean room in a state-of-the-art complex: headquarters of the World Regenesis Organization. One sat at a long conference table; the other was placed at a massive window, looking down at the city. His face nearly touched the glass as he stared at the sprawling array of buildings below. The silence was tangible.

"Quite the view, is it not?" The man at the table asked, folding his hands in his lap and leaning back a bit in his chair.

"It is." The one at the window did not turn.

"Amazing to me," the first continued. "How quick humanity is to rebuild something that was lost to them. Two years ago this place was a shambles and now? Well on its way to being back to a state of normalcy. We are admirable creatures, if I do say so myself." He laughed jovially.

The second said nothing.

The first man's laughter died away. "So." He stood and began making his slow way around the table. "The first stage of your plan is underway. You never did tell me all the details, but am I to understand that the building is-"

"Wiped from the face of the planet."

"You know, this is all really something else. You come to me and make a deal, practically ensuring the company's grave, and yet you ask for nothing monetary in return. In fact, promise your cooperation and support instead. This offer: to completely remove any and all Shin-Ra presence from the city…. A bit out of character if you ask me." He stopped at the end of the table and looked at the back of the man before him. "If I may be frank, sir…why?"

The one at the window turned, standing firmly despite the cane he leaned upon. Full of cunning and confidence, this man had watched lives ruined, homes destroyed, cultures leveled. He had done the unthinkable before. Perhaps this would be his last time. Or perhaps not. "Why, Reeve?" he said, his steady gaze locked on his counterpart's questioning eyes. "Why would I destroy my own company?" He took a step forward, chuckling a little. "You should know by now: I _always_ have my reasons."


End file.
